Yet a binary choice (aka “consent or pay”) is exactly what Meta is currently forcing on users in the region.
The European Data Protection Board (EDPB) has been meeting this week to discuss adopting an opinion on so-called “consent or pay”, following a request made back in February by a trio of concerned data protection authorities.
A spokeswoman for the EDPB confirmed to TechCrunch that it adopted an opinion on “consent or pay” on Wednesday morning, saying it will be published later today.
However the choice Meta gives EU users is a binary one: Either consent to its use of personal data for targeted advertisng or pay a monthly fee to access ad-free versions of its social networks.
But on the core issue of whether Meta’s mechanism complies with the EU’s long-standing data protection framework the Board’s opinion is key.
A few months after its launch, how is Apple’s Vision Pro faring?
I am a long-term bull on augmented reality, virtual reality, and face-computers in general.
So it is to my partial chagrin that the hype around the Apple Vision Pro has faded more rapidly than I anticipated.
But I anticipated the Apple brand to keep the hardware in the news — and atop our collective minds — longer than it managed after its launch.
I find it archaic that my monitors are akin to digital chalkboards when they should be built into my glasses.
The U.S. Department of Justice is suing Apple over allegedly monopolistic smartphone practices.
The federal agency is not alone in the matter, bringing 15 states and the District of Columbia into the mix as well.
Regulators and tech companies, name a more iconic duo.
But as we’re about to see with Apple, big tech companies are not going to go down without a fight.
For more on Apple’s antitrust lawsuit, check here:
The great EV boom is fading a bit, but that’s not a concern if you take a long-enough view.
Sure, Tesla expects slower growth for its car sales this year, and there are some indications that other companies are trimming their electric car plans, but there’s also reason to be optimistic.
If you take a look at some upcoming EVs, you may notice that the don’t look precisely like the current, bestselling gas-powered cars out there.
I reckon that that is for the best — when you swap power sources, you can shake up the rest of a vehicles design, right?
So two cheers for Rivian’s R3 and what Telo is cooking up, because their plans have me hype.
Google is sunsetting the Google Pay app in the US later this yearGoogle has announced that Google Pay is shutting down in the United States in June, as the standalone app has largely been replaced by Google Wallet.
Users can continue to access the app’s most popular features right from Google Wallet, which Google says is used five times more than the Google Pay app in the United States.
After June 4, users will no longer be able to send, request or receive money through the U.S. version of the Google Pay app.
Users who used the Google Pay app to find offers and deals can still so do using the new deals destination on Google Search, the company says.
Google says millions of people in over 180 countries use Google Pay to check out when shopping on desktop, mobile and in store.
Most will have been defaulted to the “new” Gmail view long ago, so unless you have been specifically requesting the “basic HTML” view, nothing should change for you.
The company is sunsetting Gmail’s basic HTML view, which allows users to look at their emails in a bare-bones state, starting January 2024.
“We’re writing to let you know that the Gmail Basic HTML view for desktop web and mobile web will be disabled starting early January 2024.
The Gmail Basic HTML views are previous versions of Gmail that were replaced by their modern successors 10+ years ago and do not include full Gmail feature functionality,” the email reads.
The HTML version lacks a lot of features such as chat, spell checker, search filters, keyboard shortcuts, and rich formatting.
“It’s the single best time to invest in [crypto] companies,” according to 10T Holdings and 1RoundTable Partners’ CEO, Dan Tapiero.
Crypto reporter Jacquelyn Melinek has the inside scoop on why his firm is taking the long view to ride out the volatility of the web3 landscape as it raises its fourth fund.
Get the TechCrunch+ Roundup newsletter in your inbox!
I’m interested in working in space technology and will be applying for jobs in that field while I’m on OPT.
I’ve heard that most space tech companies are reluctant to hire individuals on F-1 student visas due to export rules and other compliance issues.
Among the changes in iOS 17.4 is support for auto-generated transcripts in the Apple Podcasts app, making it easier for listeners to follow along to their favorite shows.
Similar to how lyrics work in Apple Music, users can view a live text version of an episode, and the words are highlighted as they listen.
To pull up the transcript, users click on the new “quote” icon at the bottom of the Now Playing screen.
Creators can also release their own transcripts by changing the setting in Apple Podcasts Connect within the Availability tab.
Earlier this week, Apple made iOS 17.3 widely available, giving users access to its Stolen Device Protection feature and collaborative playlists for Apple Music.
Welcome to the TechCrunch Exchange, a weekly startups-and-markets newsletter.
It’s inspired by the daily TechCrunch+ column where it gets its name.
But sometimes we forget that technology does, too — especially when it comes to AI, which is still in its early days in many respects.
— AnnaAI unfairness at workEmployee-monitoring software isn’t new.
Also known as bossware, it is pitched by its makers as a way to help boost productivity, but by those who endure it, it’s a surefire way to deplete morale.
Multiple Threads users on the iOS app reported earlier today that they are seeing a new “Latest” option to sort search results on the new social network.
However, the company told TechCrunch that the feature was just an internal prototype and it was rolled out by mistake.
Threads first started testing the ability to search for posts in Australia and New Zealand in August 2023.
In September last year, Meta rolled out the search to almost all English and Spanish-speaking countries where the social network was available.
In December, the company expanded the search to all languages along with the launch in the EU later in the month.
